Previously…
Braedey drove up between Doc and Mater. "Excuse me, Doc, is it? How long would a job like this take for someone to do?" He asked.
"Well, a fella does it right, it should take him about five days." Doc replied back.
"Five days?" McQueen asked in shock. "But, we both should be in California schmoozing Dinoco right now!" He complained.
"Then if I were you, l'd quit yappin and start workin'!" Doc told him, and McQueen fumed. "Hook him up, Mater."
Mater nodded. "Okay-dokey." he placed his right tyre against the release lever of Lightning's parking boot, and tries to open it, but it seemed to be stuck.
Braedey noticed this. "Need some help with that, Mater?" He asked.
"No, No. I'm good." Mater replied. He grunted forcefully, pushing against the lever. Then, once he got the clamp off, in a flash and with a rev of his engine, Lightning was gone in a flash!!
"Freedom!!" Lightning's voice echoed out.
Mater looked down at the road, thinking about what just happened, Doc and Braedey looking over to the rusty tow-truck. "Maybe I should've-a... hooked him up to Bessie... and then-a..."
"Then take the boot off him?" Braedey finished for the tow truck.
"Yeah. Then took the boot off." Mater agreed. The two new friends both look over to Doc.
"He's not gonna get very far, is he?" Braedey asked.
"Woo-hoo!" McQueen yelled out, as he passed by a road sign on the left side of the road. The sign said 'Radiator Springs: Leaving So Soon?' "Goodbye, Radiator Springs, and goodbye, Bessie!" McQueen said with a smile on his face, accelerating on down the road at over 100 miles per hour, charging on to reach full speed.
"California, here I come! Yeah! Oh, fell that wind. Yes!" McQueen announced. But then, his engine began to sputter and cough, and he was now slowing down. "No, no, no, no! Outta gas? How can I be outta gas?" He wondered to himself in confusion as he eventually slows to a stop, then he saw both Sally and Sheriff parked over by the sign he passed by last night.
Sheriff laughed at McQueen's reaction. "Boy, we ain't as dumb as you think we are." He said to him.
McQueen was confused as to what happened and why he ran out of gas. "But, but, but how did, how did... you...?" He stammered. He knew he had topped up on gasoline before he, Braedey, and Mack had left Nashville.
Sally smirked at McQueen. "We siphoned your gas while you were passed out. Ka-chow." She flipped her left mirror over, and shined the light at McQueen's eyes.
"Ow, ow, ow! Ow." McQueen groaned, then he scoffed in annoyance as Sheriff laughed.
Later, back in town, McQueen had been towed back by Mater, and have been instructed to fix the road, much to his chagrin and frustration. Braedey could only roll his eyes in response to McQueen's complaining.
Sheriff now rolled up Flo's, pulling up to where the Jeep and the Volkswagen were. "Gentlemen." He greeted.
"Sheriff." The Jeep replied bluntly.
"Hey, Sheriff." The Volkswagen sighed.
Outside of Luigi's tyre shop, the two Italian folks were arguing with one another about where to place the tyres and why they should be where one another should be, the two of them arguing about it.
"Guido, why the tires are here?" Luigi asked to the little forklift, whose name is Guido.
"Sono sempre stati qui." Guide replied back in Italian. Best guess is that Italian is the only language that he could speak.
"They were better well before." Luigi interjected back.
Guido then started to go on a rant about something, completely ignoring Luigi's words. "Stai sempre a parlare."
"Guido!" Luigi argues back.
"Red, can you move over?" Lizzie asked over the firetruck who was watering the flowers. "I want to get look at that sexy hot rod."
Down on the street that leads down to the courthouse, Lightning, after being towed back into town, was now hooked up to Bessie, and he was pulling the heavy road paver down the street at a slow pace.
"You know, I used to be a purty good whistler." Mater told Lightning, talking to him and Braedey. "I can't do it now of course, on account of sometimes I get fluid built up in my engine block, but Doc said he's gonna fix it dough. He can fix about anything. That's why we made him the judge."
"I see." Braedey nodded. Then, he drove over to the tyre shop, seeing the two Italians arguing about the tyres. He mentally decided to not get involved in their conversation, and headed off to Flo's to get out of the sun. "Pretty nice scenery out here."
"Boy, you shoulda heard me on Giddy-up, Oom Papa Mow Mow." Braedey could hear Mater in the background. "Now, l'm not one to brag, but people come purty far to see me get low on the "Mow-Mow"."
"He's one curious tow truck, I'll give him that." Braedey shrugged to himself.
"Ain't that the truth." Braedey looked to his left, and saw Mary pull up next to him. "What are you thinking about?"
"Not much." Braedey replied. "What about you?"
"Me neither." Mary smirked back. "Why don't you and I go and take a look around town?" She asked.
Braedey was mostly surprised by this. He and Lightning are in this small town for what could be for a few hours, and he's been asked to have a tour around the place. "Well, if it's okay with you-"
"I shouldn't have to put up with this. I'm a precision instrument of speed and aerodynamics." The two turned around, and saw McQueen arguing with Mater.
Mater seemed confused by this. "You hurt your what?"
"I'm a very famous racecar!" Lightning yelled out.
Luigi immediately heard this, and both he and Guido rolled up to Lightning. "You are a famous racecar? A real racecar?" He asked curiously.
McQueen sighed. "Yes, I'm a real racecar. What do you think? Look at me." he gestured to himself.
"I'm also a racecar." Braedey pointed out, as he and Mary drove up alongside.
Luigi smiled, along with Guido. "I have followed racing my entire life! My whole life!" He declared.
"Then, you know who I am. I'm Lightning McQueen." Lightning told him.
"Lightening McQueen?!" Luigi asked excitedly.
"Yes! Yes!" McQueen yelled out immediately.
"I must scream it to the world! My excitement from the top of someplace very high!" Luigi now took in a deep breath. "Do you know many Ferraris?" He asked.
"No, no, no. They race on the European circuit. I'm in the Piston Cup!" Lightning announced, then he saw the two's crestfallen and blatant expression. "What?"
"Luigi follow only the Ferraris." Luigi stated bluntly. With that, the yellow Fiat and Guido drove back to their shop.
"Those two must really like Ferraris." Braedey commented with a look of curiosity.
"They took an instant liking to me when they saw I was a Ferrari." Mary spoke up to Braedey. "It's just how they were raised in Italy."
At the café, Flo saw something in the distance heading towards town. "Is that what I think it is?" She asked in surprise, and Sally looked to see what it was.
Sally looked, and she gasped at what she saw. There were two minivans on the horizon, and they were both heading to town. That could mean only one thing. "Customers. Customers! Customers, everyone! Customers!" She announced to the town, and everyone began to race about town, getting everything ready. "Ok. All right, everybody calm down for a long time. Just remember what we rehearsed. Make sure your "Open, please come in" signs are out. And you all know what to do. All right, nobody panics. Here we go!"
Braedey looked to Mary. "Mary, what's going on?" He asked.
"It's been a long time since Radiator Springs didn't have many customers." Mary replied, and headed up to the café.
Down the road, the two vans were passing by the remains of what was the Radiator Springs drive-in, arguing about not finding an on-ramp to the interstate, one of them arguing to ask for directions whereas the other was confident that they'll make it.
The first was Minny, a Chauncey Motors Cavalcade Touring 200 HP 3.8-Liter V6, a model based off of the 1996 Dodge Caravan. She has green eyes, is painted entirely purple, with white mirrors and rims. Her license plate reads "SLI-19". The second was Van, a Chauncey Motors Cavalcade XXL 170 HP 3.3-Liter V6. He based on a 2003 Ford Windstar. His license plate reads "47-M4U". He is painted dark green, with chrome rims and grey mirrors. On his roof, he wears a black luggage carrier.
Minny looked around at the desert around them. "Van, I just don't see any on-ramp anywhere." She complained to her husband.
Van sighed, almost like he doesn't care. "Minny, I know exactly where we are." He reassured to her.
Minny scoffed back. "Yeah, we're in the middle of nowhere."
Van sighed. "Honey, please."
"Hello." Sally greeted, now driving up to the two of them. "Welcome to Radiator Springs, gateway to Ornament Valley. Legendary for it's quality service and friendly hospitality. How can we help you?" She offered to them.
"We don't need anything, thank you very much." Van sighed, driving past Sally.
Minny then had an idea. "Whoa, honey. Ask her direction to the Interstate." She suggested to him. As they drive along, with Sally following, they go alongside the bumps caused by last night's incident so they don't get flat tyres.
Van sighed. "There's no need to ask for directions. Minny, I know exactly where we're going."
"He did the same thing on our trip to Shakopee." Minny said to sally. "You know, we were headed over there for the Crazy Days, and we-"
Van then cuts her off. "OK, OK. Really. We're just peachy, OK?"
The Volkswagen drove up to the couple from his home called 'Fillmore's Taste-In'. "What you really need is the sweet taste of my homemade, organic fuel." He offered.
Van shook his head. "No, it doesn't agree with my tank."
Minny drove up. "We're just trying to find the Interstate." She stated.
"Good to see you, Soldier!" The Jeep drove up alongside Van. "Come on by Sarge's Surplus Hut for all your government surplus needs." He offered.
Minny seemed interested. "Ohh, honey, surplus!"
Van ignored her. "I think we have too much surplus."
Sally drives alongside the two, as she gestured to where she and Mary work. "I do have a map over the Cozy Cone Motel. And if you do stay, we offer a free Lincoln Continental breakfast."
The Cozy Cone Motel is a series of large traffic cones that serve as the hotels, whilst the main building was in the centre of it all.
"Honey, she's got a map." Minny persuaded.
"I don't need a map!" Van fumed in frustration. "I have the GPS. Never need a map again, thank you."
Flo drove up. "How 'bout somethin' to drink? Stop at Flo's V8 Cafe. Finest fuel on Route 66."
Van shook his head. "No, we just topped off."
Luigi drove up, while Guido juggles tyres while Luigi is talking, and ends with most of them in a pile with one standing up on top. "And if you need tires, stop by Luigi's Casa Della Tyres, home of the Leaning Tower of Tyres."
"We're just trying to find the Interstate." Minny spoke up.
"But you do need a paint job, man. Ramone will paint you up right." The lowrider, whose name is Ramone, now offers as he drove up to the two. "Hey, anything you want! You know, like a flame job."
Minny shook her head. "No, thanks..."
Ramone showed his paint job. "Maybe ghost flames! You like old school pinstripin'? Von Dutch style, ha?" He raised his back end, and both vans were shocked when saw what was the Von Dutch.
Minny's eyes were wide. "Oh, honey, look. Von Dutch."
"Oh, ho, OK, no." Van started to drive off. "We're gonna be going now, OK?" He then felt something slap his rear bumper, making him turn around to see Lizzie.
Lizzie laughed. "A little somethin' to remember us by, OK?"
Van laughed sarcastically. "OK!" Then, he and Minny began to drive away.
Come back soon, OK?" Sally called. "I mean, you know where we are! Tell your friends!"
On Van's rear bumper now had the bumper sticker that said 'Nice Butte: Radiator Springs'. Van laughed sarcastically. "OK! Yes. You bet."
Minny followed after Van. "Thanks again, folks. Bye-bye now."
'That could've gone better.' Braedey thought to himself, then looked at the townsfolk. 'These folks must be desperate for anybody coming here to be a customer.'
McQueen now saw the two cars approaching. This could be his chance of getting out of here with Braedey. "Psst! Psst! Hey! Hey, hey, hey! I know how to get to the Interstate!" He whispered to them.
Minny looked to him. "Oh, do ya?" She asked.
Van looked over at his wife. "Minny, no."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah." Lightning then stopped himself for a moment. "No, not really. But listen. I'm Lightning McQueen, the famous racecar. Me and my partner Braedey are being held here against oue will. And I need you to call our team, so they can rescue us, and get us to California in time to win The Piston Cup. Do you understand?"
The two vans looked at McQueen as if he were crazy or something. After about three seconds, they hit their car alarms, and with that, they drove out of town in a hurry.
"No, no, no, no, no. No, It's the truth! I'm telling you! You gotta help me!" Lightning yelled out to them, but to no avail as the two vans leave. "Don't leave me here! I'm in hillbilly hell! My IQ's dropping by the second! I'm becoming one of them!" He yelled out, his voice now echoing out.
Sally sighed in disappointment, then she looked over at everyone. "Okay, don't worry. They know where we are now." As she talked, everyone headed off back to do their business. "They're gonna tell their friends. You'll see. It's good."
"And we'll be back for our Hank Williams marathon, after a Piston Cup update." The male voice on the radio go Braedey, Lightning, and Mary's attention, as they looked over to the radio.
"What?" Braedey looks over to the radio, Mary taking notice of this at once.
"Still no sign of Lightning and 'Bolt' McQueen." A female voice on the radio spoke up next. "Meanwhile, Chick Hicks arrived in California, and today, became the first car to spend practice time on the track."
"Yeah, well, it's just nice to get out here before the other competitors." Chick's voice then spoke up. "You know, get a headstart. Gives me an edge."
Braedey looked to Lightning, and he could tell that his partner was having the thoughts of horror about Chick becoming the new face of Dinoco. To be brutally honest, Braedey hated the idea of that green moustached racecar getting the sponsor, and just the thought of seeing Chick take over Dinoco, that's just a bad thing to even consider at all.
McQueen gasped out, then he looked to Mater. "Mater, let me get this straight. Braedey and I can go when this road is done. That's the deal, right?" He asked as Mater drives up.
"That's what they done did said." Mater replied back.
"Lightning McQueen, what do you think you're doing?" Braedey demanded. He didn't like the look in McQueen's eyes.
"Okay. Outta my way." Lightning now got into position. "I got a road to finish." Then, with two loud revs of his engine, he now began to pull Bessie at a much faster pace, much too fast for the old road paver machine to keep up and make a smooth road.
Mater's mouth now dropped at the sight of what was going on before him, whilst Braedey displayed an expression of frustration and annoyance to Lightning, and Mary looked like she had been given a lighter shade of her blue paint.
A moment later, Mater immediately bursts into Doc's mechanical clinic, with Doc's back turned to the door. "He's done!" He yelled out.
Doc was surprised and rather confused by this sudden announcement. "Done?" He asked back. Mater nodded to him. "It's only been an hour." Doc wondered.
Braedey drove in alongside Mater. "You're not gonna like what you're about to see…." He sighed.
With Lightning, he was a little out of breath, but Bessie was more worse for wear after covering the whole distance. The road paver groaned and grumbled, as it chugged to a stop, the fire in its burner now blown out, whilst all the tar was gone.
"I'm done. Look, I'm finished." Lightning panted as he looked to the townsfolk, who seemed shocked by what had happened. "Just say thank you, and we'll both be on our way. That's all you gotta say."
The road was not even done perfect - it was a complete mess. The surface wasn't even smooth or flat at all. The pavement was in blotches and splotches down the whole of Main Street, and it was an utter disaster.
"Weehoo! I'm the first one on the new road!" Mayer announced. "Ahho!" He immediately drove onto the road, but as he drove along, parts of him were falling out from behind him. But he didn't seem to be bothered by it. "It rides purty smooth." He blubbered out as he approached them.
Sally was appalled by the state of the road. "It looks awful!" She said to McQueen.
McQueen didn't seem bothered. "Well, now, it matches the rest of the town." He commented offhandedly.
Sally gasped at what he just said. Red gasped after her, then crying out loud, he drove away. "Red?" Sally called, but Red drove away, knocking down a tower of tyres behind the salvage yard. "Who do you think you are?" Sally fumed at Lightning.
"Look, Doc said when I finish, Braedey and I could go. That was the deal." Lightning interjected back.
Doc drove up with Braedey and Mary. "The deal was you fix the road, not make it worse." Doc stated.
Braedey really wanted to punch Lightning's headlights out, but he only just fumed at him. "Lightning, you rushed into a job, and you've made an appalling job at it." He yelled at him. "You can't take shortcuts with a delicate job like this. Fixing a road needs you to be slow."
"Now, scrape it off! Start over again." Doc ordered as he faced McQueen.
McQueen scoffed. "Hey, look, grandpa, l'm not a bulldozer. l'm a racecar."
"Hohoho. Is that right?" Doc teased as he looks at the red racecar. "Then why don't we just have a little race? Me, you, and your friend."
Sally was surprised by what Doc just said. "What?" Braedey and Mary was also taken aback by Doc's challenge. Was he really tempting to race McQueen?
"What?" They both asked in unison.
McQueen laughed. "Me, you, and Braedey. Is that a joke?" He asked in confusion and surprise.
"If either of you win, you both go and I fix the road. If I win, you do the road my way." Doc gave the wager, and emphasised the 'you' to Lightning.
"Doc, what're you doin'?" Sheriff asked.
McQueen laughed. "I don't mean to be rude here, Doc, but you probably go zero to sixty in like, what? Three-point-five years?"
Doc smirked as he drove up closer. "Then I reckon you two ain't got nothin' to worry about." He smirked.
Braedey wasn't too sure, but decided to join in for the fun. "Okay. Let's go do some racing."
McQueen smiled back at this. "You know what, old timer? That's a wonderful idea. Let's race."